Sony PRS-600BC E-Reader Touch Edition Digital Book, Black

2011-04-17T20:00:00

No more Sony products ever :(

googl

Originally posted at

2011-02-24T19:00:00

Nothing good about this device can overcome my disgust with the software. I'm afraid to hook it up to my computer because it will either hang indefinitely or delete my purchased books from the reader. The only way I can get this to work semi-reliably is to put epub books from other sources on an SD card and remove the card whenever I connect to the computer while allowing only purchased books to sync up via the menus. Stay away if you are not computer savvy!

Excalculus

Originally posted at

2011-01-31T19:00:00

I recently acquired a PRS-600. It is a very nice reader in good light. The cover/light combo needs a much brighter LED to be really useful for reading in the dark. I prefer to use a headlamp for more light. The software/reader library is not user friendly. I found it much easier to drag files to an SD Card in a card reader and then insert it. If you put too many books on a large capacity SD card it takes forever to boot up. However, I really like the reader concept, and have no need for WiFi, so this PRS-600 is great for me. The touch screen works well, and the visual quality of the text is great. It could use a wee bit more contrast, as compared to my husband's PRS-505 though. The screen reproduces b/w images well, and even does a fair job of converting color images to b/w. I also like the fact that Sony supports a variety of media formats, not just a proprietary one. I'm happy I bought it and if I decide to upgrade ever, I will look for a new Sony first.

Monkeywrangler

Originally posted at

2010-12-27T19:00:00

I was given a PRS-600 for my birthday this past month and I absolutely love this reader. I read all the time and was getting frustrated having to carry books around all the time because I read multiple books at a time. This reader is wonderful. It's crisp, clear images make it easy to read, the text size is perfect and variable. I don't get a glare on my screen. The touch feature comes with a stylus but I find I rarely have to use it as it responds very well and quickly to my fingertips. I love that it has an expandable memory because I can carry hundreds of books, music, pictures, and notes with me no matter where I go. This is the best gift I've ever been given and I thank my fiance every day! Thank you Jim and thank you Sony!

Noey

Originally posted at

2010-12-03T19:00:00

The text contrast (black) on the grey glare screen is bad - do not by this model!! I am going smash this reader in the face of Sony guys!

gesha

Originally posted at

2010-09-03T20:00:00

I agree with another user from Germany, not happy about the product. I have bought my device after reading adverts of the official Sony site. After getting device the first surprise was the low brightness of the screen. I have been walking to the different stores to compare my device with other Sony and competitor devices. Not good for Sony. But the Reader Library program to be installed on the PC is a headache. On some PC's did not install at all, on some did but is not running when device connected. finally I managed to have it running on one laptop. Lucky me! But it is not so easy to use. And in the end I am demotivated by the product, software and support. I got myself and IPad. How easy is the life now. Surely no more Sony eReader!!!

Wohub

Originally posted at

2010-08-30T20:00:00

After reviewing all readers on the market, I decided to go with the Sony ereader because ease of note taking and highlighting is the most important feature to me. Although Kindle and Nook both have such features, it is far too much of a hassle for me as compared to the Sony. If touch screen and note taking is not as important to you, I would go with a different ereader than Sony. The PRS 600 e-ink screen contrast is comparable to reading a wet newspaper. Nowhere near as sharp as the competition. I would still go with the Sony for me though. The touch screen feature was the key selling point for me. However, I believe I bought a little too early. I bought after the price dropped to $170 but rumor has it that a greater price drop will occur in fall of 2010. The company that develops the e-ink hardware used on all the screens has announced a newer, better contrast version to be available soon. That should cause prices to drop more as the current generation of readers are replaced with the newer e-ink hardware. Since the Sony's primary short-coming is the screen contrast, I would wait and by what ever touch screen Sony comes out with next to replace the current generation. That's what I would do if I had the opportunity to do it over again. (Assuming of course that Nook and Kindle do not come up with a better touch screen reader).

Easyreader

Originally posted at

2010-08-25T20:00:00

I researched quite a bit, including talking to both Sony reader and Kindle reader users. Everyone liked their reader. What convinced me that Sony was the better choice was the touch screen, providing a larger reading area by using less space for feature controls. I've owned my Touch Screen for over a year now and have enjoyed it immensley. The built in dictionary is so easy to use without leaving the page. Sometimes I read more than one book at a time and the auto bookmark keeps my current page whenever I reopen any book I'm reading. I read every day and the battery last me about a week which I think is phenominal. I recommend getting the AC charger for the situations when you don't have a PC available, ie: camping. The only night light I found for the reader was in a leather reader cover, which I love but a bit pricey. None of the inexpensive book lights fit well and blocked part of the reading area.

BLM624

Originally posted at

2010-08-24T20:00:00

I received my E-book for my birthday. Quite a shock as it was my daughter & not myself who wanted one. I am so happy I have it now! I am an avid reader as well as a student. This tool is great for both! I suggest this E-reader to everyone.

BananaSpaghetti

Originally posted at

2010-08-16T20:00:00

I took my time and I researched the reader. Was very happy with my purchase. Glare problem is solved by tilting and the Sony Reader is used alongside Calibre. Very pleased. I also purchased the basic Sony cover...

Trinigyal

Originally posted at

2010-08-15T20:00:00

This is, by far, the worst product I have ever bought from Sony; a brand I had previously come to know and trust for their products. The "up to 3 day" battery charge, can't last through a 3 hour flight. The stylus, while saavy, is easy to lose and Sony doesn't offer replacements. It takes the device an half an hour to find and open files and then takes forever to change pages within the files. I hope these glitches are only in this edition, but I must say, I am overall disgusted with this device. I doubt I'll be looking to Sony first for products after this.

Byler357

Originally posted at

2010-08-10T20:00:00

Had this thing 2 days...tech support unable to solve problem. It isn't recognized by my HP desktop running 64 bit Windows 7. But works absolutely lovely with my Daughters Gateway laptop running 32 bit Vista. I tried different USB ports, it's not the USB cord...works just fine on laptop. Darn thing locks up, will not pull up library, and when I can get library up manually, darn thing WILL NOT eject. It locks up my computer! Can't download firm ware from Sony site..well because it is not a recognized device on the computer. So I guess I now own an expensive paperwight!

Dinkledwarf

Originally posted at

2010-08-04T20:00:00

Great product, would not hesitate to recommend it to anybody, but there are some drawbacks. 1st - text does not look as sharp and readable as it does on a Kindle and you CAN'T ADJUST THE SCREEN BRIGHTNESS! C'mon, Sony! Not everybody has a 20/20 vision (at least not my 45 year old eyes) and using a book light just doesn't cut it. 2nd - I've experienced a noticeable response lag when viewing a large file, be it pdf or doc or txt. 3rd - a software issue - no easy way to back up your library short of manually copying the folder and pasting it somewhere else. Overall though - a great gadget and a great alternative to the ubiquitous Kindle. The expendable memory and the reasonable price do it for me. Once again - great product, although far from perfect.

Hammerklavier

Originally posted at

2010-06-30T20:00:00

I neglected the reviews about the glare of the screen and now I regret about that. I spent long hours in airports and flights in last few days. With those lighting conditions, it was really hard for me to read anything on the Sony Reader simply because of the glare. No matter what features it has, if you can't read anything without going through eye strain, it is a complete waste. I really wanted to love my Sony Reader, but here I am, writing this review and returning it back to Sony.

J4Web

Originally posted at

2010-06-23T20:00:00

For my needs and price range this baby is fantastic. It's uses beyond reading are amazing. For those familiar with such scifi terms this baby is a DATAPAD. For those who roleplay, it reads your pdf rule books, if your dming you can throw pictures on it and even draw maps on the fly. Making notes while reading through books is perfect. I only wish there was an external speaker to play sound effects on. Great buy.

KorbinVega

Originally posted at

2010-05-17T20:00:00

I've had it now a week and am very pleased. battery life is excellent although you'll want to purchase the AC Adapter (which is extra). But it's worth it as you can't use the reader while it's hooked via USB to your computer. The book selection through Sony and Google is outstanding. Sony has all the most current and popular books you could want at a great price. The glare is not an issue with me. All you need to do is adjust how you hold the reader to get rid of the glare, not unlike some physical books. It reads great and doesn't tire your eyes like a typical computer screen does. Typeface and resolution of the text is excellent and very clear. It comes with a neoprene case/covering, so I recommend a harder shell case, like through Case Logic. I didn't care for the Amazon Kindle because they upload your notes to their server (which they never disclosed). Their wireless is through AT&T which is a non starter and quite frankly I don't feel that I need wireless to read my ebooks. Downloading the ones I want and loading into the PRS600 is perfectly acceptable and reasonable. And by doing it this way the "time" I spend downloading the ebooks is very limited.

steppoff

Originally posted at

2010-03-24T20:00:00

I am sooo grateful that my boyfriend bought me this for CHristmas along with a 4 yr protection plan ; ) At first I couldn't get it to work right but later found out it was my hard drive. Who woud have thunk right It wasn't even a year old??? Anyway, after the hassel of getting that taken care of I was able to use my reader without any problems. I am a book fanatic. I just finished 3 of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich in a week. I would get done with one and have to buy the other. Luckily for me the Reader library is open 24/7. What could be better than that??!! I would finish it at like 2 in the am and run to my computer to download the another book. I am soooo addicted!!!! I just wish it came with a plug in charger.

Karisma86

Originally posted at

2010-03-12T19:00:00

As with many here I am a voracious reader. I really enjoy having this reader however it does have some …issues… that I hope becomes patched in the future. They are serious enough that I would not re-choose this purchase. #1 I only use a 2G memory card however it takes easily 7mins to start up and be ready to read anything. I know it takes time to read all the memory locations, but it’s a bit aggravating. #2 Battery life… I have to charge at least every other day. Now I do use it a lot, but I have tried both flipping it off after I am done with it and allowing it to fall into power save mode. At maximum I get four days of reading or six books per full charge. #3 The documentation that came with the reader stated there would be a stylus with it, no stylus. No big deal, but a bit annoying. #4 The glare is MUCH worse than I had imagined it to be. Sometimes I have to tip it around a lot to be able to read it. …A few wishes: Built in reading light. Common modules for the OS, I KNOW this is not a computer, but a calculator would be awesome :D Faster system startup Longer Battery life

Jaiyna

Originally posted at

2010-03-07T19:00:00

I have had this set for 2 months now and really enjoyed it. I have always been a heavy reader but somehow gave up because books took too much space in my luggage. I bought the PRS600 beacause I tend to take a lot of notes when reading, so although I knew I lost some contrast with the touch screen I though tit was a good trade. What I did not expect was the very poor battery life and what is even more annoying, the very slow start up time. I use the PRS with a 4 Gb SD carg loaded with some 2000 books. Each time you connect the set to a laptop for charging (and that is too often) via USB, it then takes no less than 15 min to start up again. More often than acceptable the system hangs un and even reset does not work, so I have to wait till battery is empty (funny enough, it takes too long now ;-)) As I do not live in the USA I cannot get product support via internet, so I am kind of stuck. Please, SONY, help me!

drcooke

Originally posted at

2010-02-16T19:00:00

I have had this product for about a month, I have to admit that charging is a little difficult without a AC wall charger. It comes with a nice little sleeve, and some books/pictures/media already on it. Super easy to work, (has multiple icons to give access to all major functions and allows you to customize your homescreen.) Don't be fooled, you are going to have to spend money to get Current bestsellers but you can get books on the ebook store like: War of the worlds, gullivers travels, etc. any book more than 80 years old. Overall, an impressive product.

reader2345678

Originally posted at

2010-02-12T19:00:00

I am unable to load any books to the reader. It froze and it stalled the reader program on my computer. I have tried any reset possibility on the device with no succes, it remains frozen. I have tried to uninstall the reader software, no success, I have tried calibre, no success. I am about to end the device back and ask for a refund.

ezeluc

Originally posted at

2010-02-10T19:00:00

It is my first reader and I enjoy taking to everywhere. It works fine with sun light! No problems at the beach

Natalicio

Originally posted at

2010-02-05T19:00:00

Lucky I had the protection plan. Half the screen went blank after 3 months. I sent it back and they sent me another one refurbished. I guess I really don't care as long as it continues to work. I don't know what everyone is complaining about regarding the software. I find it easy to use.

msd52

Originally posted at

2010-01-31T19:00:00

why i dislike my sony prs600: 1) selection of book titles is very limited 2) cannot upload book titles from vendors other than the sony reader library 3) sony censors book reviews and does not allow bad reviews to be posted (as an American, i abhor censorship of free speech) this gives the impression that ALL of the titles (what few there are) are "5-star" reads. additionally, over 75% of the books i have purchased from sony have not been spell-checked or edited...paragraphs end mid-sentence, and the reader is left wondering if pages of text are missing as well (see next item re: complaints to customer service re: this matter) 4) sony customer service has a "yeah, you have a complaint, so what?" attitude...i have called customer service and been given the "run around" on several occasions with "oh, you need to call another phone number" as the answer to all questions after being placed on hold upwards of 45 minutes 5) the paint/finish has come off of the "page turn" buttons after only a month of use (another "so what?" answer from sony

paintlady

Originally posted at

2010-01-31T19:00:00

I have trouble with my sony reader 3 times in a month. It freezes and know I can't charge it. It would be nice if it worked without problems.

Kellys

Originally posted at

2010-01-26T19:00:00

I bought the PRS 600 in Boston the day I was coming back to Germany. The salesperson there assured me the reader was a great product. What he never mentioned is that the Reader Library would not open on my computer. After installing and uninstalling several times as sony support would recommend, I spent on the phone more than one hour being transfered from normal to highly expert support in San Diego, even allowing three different people there to take control of my computer, only to finish where I started: Owing a $300 dolares gadget which software does not open. Thus, I was never able to even register at Sony's store, less to buy a book. Forget about reading it. This thing just does not work. My advice, do not buy this reader. If you insist I can give it away to you, at least it will not waste space on my desk.

Nonreader

Originally posted at

2010-01-15T19:00:00

I got the Reader as a Christmas Gift and what can I say, I'm head over heels in love with it, and my friends and colleagues are jealous because I own one and they don't. I wanted the Reader because I read a lot and I'm running out of space to store my books since I can't give them away either. I was hesitant at first because I thought I'd miss the feel of a real book in my hands, but I haven't regretted my decision yet. Though I do miss holding a real book, the many benefits of the Reader outweigh this 'loss'. You can take it anywhere without causing much extra weight in your purse, you can store hundreds of books, you can read for hours without your eyes getting tired. To sum it all up, the Reader is the perfect gadget for those who love to read because it takes reading to a new level of pleasure. There are two sides to each coin though and I'll have those covered here. Yes, in unfortunate light the display does glare, but so far I found myself able to cope with it. All you have to do is hold the Reader in a slightly different angle and then you're all set. I also didn't like the flimsy neoprene cover the Reader came with. The Reader is a pretty pricey thing to have, I would've honestly expected a better cover to come with it. Needless to say the prices for decent covers are not making me happy (45 Euro and up). The worst thing about the Reader, and yet the easiest to solve, is the bug infested Reader Library software that comes with it. II can only recommend to future buyers (or already annoyed RL users) that they better not install it. Get yourselves Calibre, it's a way better and less buggy software.

Fairy

Originally posted at

2010-01-11T19:00:00

The Sony Touch Reader is a nice size appliance for reading books and the interface is minimal (almost useless in many cases, such as options). The firmware/software seems to have never been tested. It locks up a lot and tends to get lost just plugging in and out of the computer. When I called to get it replaced the help desk told me the recommended method to charge it is with the wall charger, which costs extra. Given a choice I would never buy it.I am extremely disappointed in this Sony product, and frankly surprised they let this out in the shape it is in. I will probably just throw it away at some point and go with a competitor's product. Sony has lost my confidence in their ability to produce reliable consumer electronics.

DisappontedInDenver

Originally posted at

2010-01-10T19:00:00

I love its design, its ease of use, the integrated dictionary, the notes capability...Almost everything is perfect. But it fails in the most important thing: the reading experience. It has a poor contrast, which makes it difficult to read. I've tried using a larger font size but even that way I'm mot comfortable reading. I've read other people say it's ok for them but unfortunately I can´t get used to it. So, despite all the terrific features it has, I can't recommend this ebook. Actually, I'm trying to get a refund for it.

ppiinto

Originally posted at

2010-01-08T19:00:00

The better reader for pdf and others, with annotations and underlined, excellent, but a lot of glare.

Virgilius

Originally posted at